Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Amsterdam During the War

The prolific Amsterdam mappers at maps.Amsterdam.nl have released a new Google Map, Amsterdam in the Second World War. Using data from the city archives the map shows the location of all the bombs that were dropped on the city between 1940-45.

The map also shows the location of downed aircraft, plane debris and anti-aircraft shells. You can click on the individual markers on the map to view details about each recorded incident (in Dutch).

When you think of Amsterdam during the Second World War you immediately think of Anne Frank. The Het Amsterdam van Anne Frank time-line is beautifully realized account of the Amsterdam of Anne Frank.

The
time-line explores the history of Amsterdam before and during German
occupation in World War II. It includes excerpts from Anne
Frank's diary alongside historical photographs and videos of Amsterdam
during the occupation.

If you click on an entry in the time-line
it will open in a lightbox style window. Most of the entries' locations are visualized using a a static Google Map. If you click on the static map a
larger Google Map will open to show the entry's location in Amsterdam.

In London you can view a map of all the bombs that fell during the Blitz in WWII on Bomb Sight. To create the map the original 1940's bomb census maps were scanned,
geo-referenced and the geographical locations of all the falling bombs
were digitally captured.

You can click on all the individual bomb markers on the map to view details about the bomb and damage caused and to view nearby photos taken during the Second World War.